The truth about needles

No kid likes having a needle. Many will be upset to hear that they will need not only their seasonal flu shot, but an additional one for H1N1.

Photograph by: David McNew
, Getty Images

No kid likes having a needle. Many will be upset to hear that they will need not only their seasonal flu shot, but an additional one for H1N1.

Do not lie to your child about getting an injection, pediatrician Lonnie Zeltzerat of UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital says. No one likes having a needle, but if you reassure your child that there are ways to make the hurt go away, you can help them have a less painful experience.

There are several ways parents can ease the ordeal. The key, according to her, is to be creative and use the right combination of tactics depending on your child's age and fear level.

Tips to minimize the pain:

- With young children, bring soap bubbles and blow bubbles during the injection, suggesting they are "blowing away the hurt."

- With a crying infant, if the parent places the plastic bubble-maker in front of the child's mouth, as they cry out, they will make bubbles. Zeltzer has seen babies stop in mid-cry because they were distracted by the bubbles.

- Bubbles might not work with older children, but parents can help the child to breathe out slowly as if he/she were blowing up a big balloon.

- Ahead of time ask your doctor about a numbing cream or for the specific areas to be injected.

- If your doctor approves, give your child a pain reliever, such as Tylenol, about one hour ahead. On returning home, put an ice bag on the injection site to reduce local swelling and pain.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.